Beyond Numbers: Understanding Student Suicides, Mental Health and the Need for Community-Based Support

The growing concern around student suicides in India has brought renewed attention to the mental health challenges faced by young people. In response to increasing cases, the Supreme Court has recognised the urgent need to examine the issue beyond individual circumstances and has moved towards a more systemic understanding of student mental health by constituting a National Task Force to look into student suicides and related mental health concerns.

The conversations around student suicides often focus on academic pressure, competition, and individual coping. However, the realities shared by communities show that distress among young people is shaped by multiple factors; family expectations, social stigma, discrimination, lack of support systems, and the absence of safe spaces where they can express their struggles.

To better understand these experiences, Sanjog conducted a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) with ILFAT communities, bringing together frontline workers and community members to explore how mental health is experienced within marginalised communities and what prevents people from seeking support.

A significant concern that emerged was the role of educational institutions. Participants shared that many schools and colleges continue to focus primarily on academic outcomes, while students’ emotional wellbeing often remains overlooked. The absence of counsellors in educational institutions was repeatedly highlighted as a major gap.

Suhana from West Bengal shared an experience where an awareness programme conducted in a school could not be extended even by a few minutes despite the importance of the discussion. The incident reflected a larger concern, that mental health awareness is often treated as an additional activity rather than an essential part of education.

Participants also spoke about how young people often remain silent due to fear, shame, and lack of acceptance. Students facing distress may hesitate to approach teachers, families, or institutions because they fear judgement or being misunderstood.

The FGD further revealed that mental health challenges cannot be separated from the social realities young people experience. Children and youth from marginalized communities may face additional layers of distress linked to caste discrimination, religious exclusion, gender-based violence, family pressure, and economic insecurity.

For example, participants discussed how caste-based discrimination in educational spaces affects young people’s sense of belonging and safety. The experiences of exclusion faced by marginalised students, including conversations around cases such as Rohith Vemula, demonstrate how institutional environments can deeply influence mental wellbeing.

Gender-based violence and family stigma also emerged as significant factors affecting young people. One case shared from West Bengal involved a 14-year-old survivor of sexual violence who faced disbelief and blame from her family before the truth was acknowledged. The survivor experienced severe emotional distress and suicide attempts, highlighting the importance of sustained psychosocial support and trusted relationships.

The discussions also highlighted that mental health support remains difficult to access. Communities from Andhra Pradesh shared that even when people want help, they face barriers such as lack of counsellors, shortage of psychiatrists in districts, long travel distances for treatment, and fear of stigma.

The Supreme Court’s intervention and the work of the National Task Force create an important opportunity to rethink how student mental health is addressed. The experiences shared by ILFAT communities highlight that prevention requires more than crisis response. It requires accessible counselling systems, trained educators, supportive families, and institutions that recognise emotional wellbeing as a core responsibility.

As India reflects on the growing student mental health crisis, community voices must remain central to the conversation. Students and young people need spaces where they are listened to, supported, and accepted before distress reaches a point of crisis.

Through continued engagement with communities, Sanjog partnered with ILFAT to foster a more inclusive understanding of mental health, in which care is accessible, stigma is reduced, and no individual feels alone in seeking support.